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Parents of adult children

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Original poster

What age did you find most difficult to raise?

92 replies

Mimi1313 · 14/11/2022 00:05

I've always wondered what the hardest years are! To those experienced parents please share your expertise and let me know what age you found the hardest to raise and why?

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 17/11/2022 08:54

I have a 16yo dd and the last two years have been the most difficult by a million miles!!

Dd was a demanding baby and tricky toddler.

However the teen years have been brutal.

neveradullmoment99 · 17/11/2022 09:04

LargeglassofRosePlease · 14/11/2022 21:05

11 almost 12. He’s vile at times.
Alternates between being utterly gorgeous to perfectly putrid.

Its fucking hard.

Give me a three year old over this shit any day

🤣🤣🤣🤣
I agree. My dd is 11 and is hell to live with!
I also havev14 year old and soon to be 16 year old. Oh the joys!

poppym12 · 17/11/2022 09:33

14-22 (male)

RampantIvy · 17/11/2022 16:14

A lot depends on what comes more easily to you and what your characters are like! And of course external factors

In our case it was external factors. DD wasn't a difficult or horrible teenager, but she had a difficult and horrible time caused by other difficult and horrible teenagers.

Withholdingvitalinfo · 17/11/2022 22:26

RampantIvy · 17/11/2022 16:14

A lot depends on what comes more easily to you and what your characters are like! And of course external factors

In our case it was external factors. DD wasn't a difficult or horrible teenager, but she had a difficult and horrible time caused by other difficult and horrible teenagers.

Yup. For us, it was DS meeting a girl in Y12….

Mañanarama · 17/11/2022 22:32

Teenagers. Awful. Bloody awful. Give me toddlers any day of the week.

newfriend05 · 18/11/2022 20:33

14-16 years ..boys was horrible had me in tears a number of times

Gummibär · 18/11/2022 20:42

15-17 year old teens! Both boys and girls.

shadypines · 04/01/2023 13:03

For DD it was 11 to 14 approx, when the hormones kicked in it was horrendous ( only towards me not DH which made it more fun). Glad to say she is great company and a lovely young woman now . DS took over, at about 17. He's now 23 and still being a complete pain. Leaving me wondering when do they mature to functional men, so help me god.

neverendinglauaundry · 04/01/2023 13:47

saraclara · 14/11/2022 00:19

I'm not actually raising them now, of course, but I'm finding their adulthood the hardest.
MN hasn't helped. I'm on pins constantly worrying about my place in their lives and what I should/shouldn't do or say and what my role is/isn't in their lives. And of course I still want to protect them but can't actually do anything because I have no control. Everything has, rightly, to be their decision and is none of my business.

I'm also now of the age that they think I can't possibly know stuff and it makes me feel small and useless.

Ah, this is a shame - I'm an adult child (44!) & still like to hear advice from my parents when I seek it out. Don't let mn make you think you're not welcome in your kids lives.

My kids are 12 & 15.
So far nothing compares to the pain of 0-12 months with colic baby. Absolute torture.

Mumof1andacat · 04/01/2023 13:49

0-starting school destroyed my mental health. I am enjoying 5-10 yrs. The old my son get the more I enjoy his company.

strawberrysummer23 · 08/01/2023 07:19

The first year imo - then I find it gets easier gradually

I have a 5.5 month old and honestly il take any older year than the first year

Fighting sleep, grizzly baby, teething, constant bottles, Milton and questioning why they are grizzly and lack of sleep compared to toddler and pre teens anyday

I also have an 11.5 yr old
Who's an absolute dream and has been since toddler

But I haven't hit teens yet!

X

Dollyblue123 · 08/01/2023 07:24

Toddler years for me. My teenagers were great.

RuthW · 08/01/2023 07:53

Definitely 0-4 for me. It got easier the older she got.

AWomanKnows · 13/01/2023 15:43

0-3
My teens were easy.

BitOutOfPractice · 13/01/2023 15:45

It's too soon to say.
DC are 23 and 19! 😂

TheaBrandt · 13/01/2023 15:47

0-6 months for dd1 as she just screamed we were at our wits end as new parents it nearly broke us then we both got proper flu. Fun times

13-15 our teens are lovely but navigating the friendship issues / boundaries as they get older is quite hard

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